


coming home to you

by filipiniana



Series: letters to you [2]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Ba Sing Se, Beifong is also mentioned, Detective Mako, Drug Use, Drugs, Established Relationship, Future Fic, Homophobia, I just love the idea of Detective Mako on a case, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Korra and Asami are mentioned, M/M, Mako is a lovebug, Mako is def the type for PDA and you can't tell me otherwise, Mako-centric, Non Comic Compliant, Post-Canon, Recreational Drug Use, Wu has no issues with it, Wu is a lot more mature now, Wuko, a made up drug, and also Mako and Wu being domestic, but also still angsty because he's Mako, not real drugs though, president wu, sorry once again i am terrible at titles and tagging, still think he has some good one-liners though, writing Bolin is fun
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-05
Updated: 2020-11-17
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:28:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,931
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27406561
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/filipiniana/pseuds/filipiniana
Summary: When Beifong gets word that the suppliers of a dangerous new drug have moved their operations from Republic City to Ba Sing Se, she sends Mako to work with the police force there to catch them. The upside? His boyfriend just so happens to run the country from there. The downside? The detective he's partnered with can't stand him, or Wu – but mostly them together.All the while, more and more people keep turning up dead. Mako's got to crack this case.---A spin-off ofletters to you(though you don't have to have read it to get this fic!)
Relationships: Mako/Prince Wu (Avatar)
Series: letters to you [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2002243
Comments: 26
Kudos: 138





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I hope you enjoy this; I had a lot of fun writing it, and exploring both what Mako and Wu would be like in a relationship and how Mako would contend with their relationship not being received well. This chapter is more to set the scene and circumstance (and also for some shameless Wuko fluff). More action and Mako working the case will be in the next ones (along with some more shameless Wuko fluff)!
> 
> This takes place after the main events of _letters to you_ but before the end. You don't need to have read it in order to understand this fic, but hey, I'm not gonna tell you _not_ to read it...

Mako let out a yawn as he stepped off the train. Loud cracks came from his back as he swayed side-to-side, attempting to stretch away the long journey. _Maybe it’s time to say yes to Wu’s airship offer_ , he thought reluctantly. Though his first instinct was always to wave off his boyfriend’s persistent insistence to spend money on him, Mako had to admit the train journey between Republic City and Ba Sing Se seemed longer and more uncomfortable every time he took it.

Luckily, the Old Lower Ring train stop was only a short walk away from the area’s police station. After transitioning the Earth Kingdom into the democratically-run United Earth Republic and being elected president, Wu had worked closely with the new mayor of Ba Sing Se to knock down the walls that had divided the three rings of the impenetrable city. The strict class division once enforced by Ba Sing Se’s physical layout was loosening, but the names of each area still stuck.

Though it was early in the morning, the station was already awake with activity. The crime rate in the Old Lower Ring had dropped significantly from the time Hou-Ting had been in power, but it was still the most densely populated area of the city and consequently kept its police force busy. Mako weaved carefully past the officers speeding past him, their olive green UER police uniforms blending with the earth brown tile lining the walls. He stepped to the desk nearest the front door, occupied by a young man who was obviously a rookie.

“Hey,” he said, and the rookie lifted his head from the file he was studying. “I’m from the Republic City Police. Supposed to talk to the chief.”

“Oh, yeah. You’re here to work the dirt case. Follow me.”

The rookie led Mako to an office at the back of the station, then knocked on the door. A large, stocky woman, built much like the wall that surrounded city limits, appeared in the doorway, almost filling the whole frame.

“Chief, this is…” The rookie trailed off, realizing he hadn’t asked Mako’s name. His eyes widened and he looked over his shoulder at Mako helplessly.

“Detective Mako,” he supplied, holding a hand out. “Chief Beifong sent me from the Republic City Police. I was leading the dirt case there.”

Mako tried to hide his wince as his hand was taken and crushed by one much larger than his own. In hindsight, he probably should’ve offered the side that hadn’t been nearly blasted off by spirit vines. Though it had healed well, it had never quite returned to its former strength.

“Chief Gommu.” Her voice was gruff, brusque, but not unfriendly. It reminded him of Beifong’s. Was a no-nonsense tone a requirement to become chief?

Gommu cleared her throat, and immediately the noise buzzing throughout the station fell to a lull. _That must be a chief prerequisite, too,_ Mako thought.

“Everyone, this is Detective Mako from Republic City. He’s here to help us solve the dirt case. Detective Tyro—” At that, a man who looked to be about Mako’s age hurried to the front and stood at attention. “—you’ll be partnering with Mako on this. Fill each other in on what you know.”

Concluding with a curt nod, Gommu turned on her heel and marched back into her office. The previous din returned at full force.

Tyro relaxed his stance and grinned easily at Mako. “Hey man. Let’s bust this thing. Wanna grab a bite while we talk it over?”

If Korra and Asami had a baby, Tyro would be it, Mako decided as the sun receded behind the inner wall. He had spent the day with the Ba Sing Se detective, trading information and insights on the case. Tyro had Asami’s subtle toughness and analytical mind, and Korra’s strong personality and goofy sense of humor. Mako was surprised at how much he enjoyed working with Tyro; usually he was in Beifong’s office after the first hour of being assigned a new partner, frustrated that she wasn’t accepting his completely rational explanations about why he could make it through his caseload much faster if he didn’t have an imbecile who shouldn’t have made detective in the first place weighing him down. He’d have to tell Beifong about this, he mused smugly. This proved her angry assertions about Mako not being a team player wrong.

“Need a ride home?” Tyro asked as they packed up for the night. “Sorry in advance, man. The apartments they put up visiting officers in are pretty shite.”

“Oh, uh. I’m actually, uh, staying with a friend.”

He wasn’t lying, exactly. Wu _was_ his friend – his best friend, who also just happened to be his boyfriend. Still, Mako hated himself for leaving out the full truth.

It wasn’t that he was ashamed of Wu. The former prince had matured significantly in the year he spent transforming the Earth Kingdom into the UER, and now as he served as president. His growth, his confidence, his genuine care for the wellbeing of his people – they all made Mako fall in love with him.

But the Earth Kingdom hadn’t been tolerant of same-sex couples, and the UER wasn’t much better. When they first went public with their relationship, just under a year ago, the surge of vitriol and public outcry at the news was expected, but no less overwhelming. The incessant gossip mill in Republic City irked Mako to no end, but it was nothing compared to what Wu was subjected to in the UER, especially as its most public figure. Mako spent a lot of time wracked with guilt at the thought.

They did have _some_ support in the UER, though: citizens who perceived the sentiment towards same-sex couples to be outdated and wrong, and citizens who frankly didn’t care about Wu’s proclivities so long as he worked to improve their lives. But their supporters and critics didn’t wear labels identifying them as such, and Mako figured it was easier to stay in the dark than deal with the potentially negative consequences of discovering on which side someone fell.

So earlier, when Tyro had asked Mako why he looked so familiar, Mako had shrugged and said he used to be a pro-bender. And now, he hesitated as Tyro asked where his friend lived.

“Uh, the Old Upper Ring.” Mako hoped Tyro would leave it at that.

Tyro let out a low whistle. “Fancy.” Though the social classes in Ba Sing Se were becoming more fluid, the reputations of each ring lingered. “You still want a ride? The Jasmine Dragon, my favorite tea shop, is around there. Gives me the chance to pick up some tea leaves on my way home.”

“Oh, I don’t know… I wouldn’t want to put you out,” Mako tried to reason. He knew it was futile, though. _Stupid Jasmine Dragon_ , Mako thought obstinately. _Bet the tea isn’t even that good_.

As expected, Tyro waved him off. Mako sighed, resigned. Tyro was bound to find out sometime, he supposed.

Tyro’s rickety Satomobile creaked along the roads of Ba Sing Se as it made its way to the Old Upper Ring. He talked about life growing up in the lower ring, and Mako told him about his extended family.

“I know him!” Tyro exclaimed, upon hearing about how Mako and Bolin first met their cousin Tu. “I used to steal from Mr. Chow’s fruit stand,” he added sheepishly.

Mako laughed. Tyro really was growing on him.

As they crossed into the Old Upper Ring, Tyro asked, “So whereabouts is your friend’s place?”

“Uh, just a left up here, then a right at the end.” Mako had gotten to know Ba Sing Se fairly well through his frequent visits to spend time with Wu.

Tyro did as Mako instructed, turning left and urging his Satomobile up the road. The street was orderly and quiet, made up mostly of embassies of the UER states. “Your friend an ambassador or something?” Tyro asked, confused.

Mako was bracing himself. “Uh, no, not exactly.”

Tyro made a right, and they found themselves in front of a pair of intricate, grand gates. “Um, Mako, I don’t think your directions were right. This is the old palace.”

It was. After carving out a wing to live in, Wu had transformed the rest of the oversized palace into government buildings, public gardens, and a museum of the history of the four nations. During the day, the gates were wide open, welcoming diplomats and public servants and visitors from around the world. But it was late enough that the old palace was closed for the day, leaving only Wu’s residential wing occupied.

Before Mako could respond to Tyro, a security guard approached. “Oh, hey Mako,” she said upon seeing him. “Go on through.”

As the gates slowly parted, recognition seeped through Tyro’s face. “I know who you are,” he mumbled, seemingly to himself.

Tyro’s hands gripped the steering wheel tighter as he moved the Satomobile forward. He didn’t look at Mako. His posture turned rigid, and the silence between them, filled shortly before by conversation and laughter, grew deafening. The drive from the gates to the old palace had never seemed longer.

“Uh, thanks, Tyro,” Mako said, once they finally reached the circular driveway in front of Wu’s wing. He was trying to meet Tyro’s eye, but Tyro kept his gaze straight ahead. The Ba Sing Se detective only gave a stiff nod in acknowledgment.

Mako sighed as he exited. So much for getting along with one of his partners. Probably best _not_ to tell Beifong about this.

Mako glanced over his shoulder as attendants pulled the front doors open for him. Tyro was staring at him, a small frown scrunching his face. When he caught Mako looking, he hurriedly turned away and guided his Satomobile back down the driveway.

Mako frowned too as he stepped into the bright, grand foyer. The furrow in his brow disappeared instantly, though, when a blur of emerald green and gold crashed into him. Skinny arms wrapped around his waist, clinging to Mako for what seemed like dear life.

“Mako!” Wu breathed into his chest. “You’re here. You’re finally, finally here.”

A grin pulled at Mako’s mouth. He leaned down to kiss Wu, their lips fitting together automatically, from practice, from familiarity, from a force like magnets. Mako’s frustrations about Tyro disappeared. Feeling Wu in his arms was all that mattered.

“Hi, Wu,” he murmured once they finally pulled away. “I missed you.”

Wu fell against Mako’s chest, sweeping an arm to his forehead. “I missed you too!” he wailed exaggeratedly. Mako rolled his eyes, but there was no malice in it. Love had made Wu’s dramatics endearing to him. “It should be a crime, a crime I say, for you to be in Ba Sing Se for an entire day without seeing me. I must report this to the police!”

Mako gently lowered Wu’s hand and interlaced their fingers. “Don’t think that would work,” he remarked, “considering they’re the ones who kept me.”

Wu harrumphed. “What’s the use of being president if I can’t mandate my boyfriend to see me instantly upon arrival?”

Mako shrugged. “Oh I don’t know, the whole helping your people thing?”

Wu waved the hand not holding Mako’s dismissively. “Right, right, I guess that’s something. Anyway, big guy, you hungry?”

As if on cue, Mako’s stomach grumbled. He and Tyro had been so wrapped up in the case, they hadn’t eaten dinner before they left. Wu giggled. “Onku,” he called to an attendant at the bottom of the stairs, “please tell Chef Koko that Mako and I would like to have dinner in the dining room shortly.”

“Actually,” Mako started, his tone now low and husky. A smirk rose on his face. He let go of Wu’s hand and wrapped an arm around his waist, jerking him forward so that they were flush against each other. “I was thinking we have some dessert before dinner.”

Wu’s eyes widened. “Onku,” he called again, his voice fainter, gaze locked with Mako’s even as he ordered, “on second thought, please just have a dinner tray brought up to my room. And knock first!”

Wu’s face broke out into a wicked grin. The next thing Mako knew, he was being pulled upstairs at a pace he didn’t know his boyfriend had in him.

* * *

“So how was your first day, big guy?”

They were in bed, a dinner tray lying abandoned in front of them, plates once laden with a four-course meal now clean. Wu was nuzzled against Mako’s bare chest, listening to his heartbeat.

Mako let his hand move up Wu’s back and into Wu’s normally perfectly coiffed hair. It was in disarray, and as Mako played with it absently it grew even more unruly. Wu swatted at Mako without real intent. There was no point in fixing it now.

“This’ll definitely be a tough one to crack,” Mako admitted. He huffed. “It’s annoying. I almost had them in Republic City.”

It was true. The dirt case, as it had come to be known among the Republic City and Ba Sing Se police forces, was centered on a drug ring that operated between Republic City and the UER. They pushed dirt, a new drug made up of a particular mineral found deep within soil, mixed with a cocktail of poisonous herbs. Inhaling dirt gave people an addictive, euphoric high – and disabled their pain receptors and natural aversion to danger. Mako had seen bodies splattered across the pavement and fished out of the ocean, carelessness caused by dirt plunging them to their deaths.

It took an accomplished earthbender to bend the mineral needed to make dirt out of the soil, especially in great enough quantities to produce dirt on a large scale. The suppliers were skilled and dangerous, Mako knew, and had alluded him for months – until he’d run into Two Toed Ping one night. Ping was plastered, and whining to Mako about how the dirt suppliers were stealing away the Triple Threat Triad’s business. After not much coaxing, Ping had provided Mako with enough info to figure out where the suppliers were headquartered in Republic City. He acted as quickly as he could, alerting Beifong and assembling a unit to bust in and arrest the ring – but by the time they arrived, the warehouse had been emptied out.

A week later, Beifong heard from the Ba Sing Se police: it seemed the dirt suppliers had moved their operations to somewhere in the Old Lower Ring. Mako had been on the next train out, calling Wu hastily as he packed to let him know he was on his way.

“I know you did,” Wu soothed now, stroking Mako’s chest. “But at least there’s an upside! You weren’t due to visit until next month.”

Mako smiled down at Wu. That was true, too. He leaned into his boyfriend’s messy hair, taking a deep breath. He used to hate the scent of flowery stuff, but on Wu, the mix of fire lily and jasmine smelled like their old suite at the Four Elements, like the anticipation rushing through him as he rode the train to Ba Sing Se, like coming home.

“My new partner gave me a ride here,” he said, his mouth still pressed against Wu’s head. “I don’t think he likes our relationship.” Mako had hoped the words would come out mild, unbothered, but he heard the frustration in them.

Wu did, too. He lifted himself off Mako’s chest, placed his hands firmly on Mako’s shoulders. “I’m sorry, Mako. You don’t deserve that.”

Mako’s sigh evolved into a groan. “I know. It’s stupid. He has no right to have an opinion about us, anyway.”

Wu smiled wryly, sadness and resignation hinted within it. “I hate that it’s true, but he does. He’s a UER citizen. He has a right to have an opinion about me. I’m just sorry you have to be dragged into it, too.”

Mako shook his head and pulled Wu in, bringing him into a passionate, languid kiss. “Don’t apologize,” he said against his lips. “I knew what I was getting myself into. And I’d do it again, and again.”

Wu initiated the kiss this time, and Mako could feel him smiling. “Me too. Love you, big guy.”

Mako chuckled. “I love you, too.”

* * *

Mako was pretty sure Tyro spoke less than ten words to him the next day. They were patrolling an area of the Old Lower Ring where dirt-induced injuries and deaths had been multiplying at a rapid pace. They split up almost instantly, Mako wandering the streets and alleyways and only bumping into Tyro when their patrol paths accidentally crossed. Mako was annoyed that the camaraderie that had formed so easily between them was gone, but at least he had minimal exposure to Tyro’s stiff awkwardness.

Neither of them had happened upon anything significant that day. They returned to the station in silence and filled out their paperwork in the same manner. As Mako was on his last form, Tyro stood up and stretched.

“I’m going home,” he announced, presumably to Mako, though he didn’t meet Mako’s eyes.

“Okay,” Mako said simply. He didn’t expect another offer for a ride. He didn’t need one, anyway – he was meeting Wu for dinner at Mako’s grandma’s in the Old Lower Ring.

Tyro paused after shrugging on his jacket. “I—” he started. He shut his mouth, then opened it again. “I voted for him, you know. I believed him. Then he-he…” Mako could see Tyro swallow. “He never said anything. Before. I thought I knew who I was voting for, but I was wrong.”

Mako’s fists clenched. Disgust, betrayal, were evident in Tyro’s voice. Mako wanted to punch him, to blast him with fire, to yell that Tyro wasn’t wrong before, he was wrong _now_. A dangerous heat coursed from his chest to the tips of his fingers, his palms burning and itching to strike.

Mako squeezed his eyes shut, breathed deep. His parents’ deaths, his rough childhood, the years he spent battling villains and spirits and dictators – his anger had only made things worse, every time. He had stopped choosing it, finally, a while ago, and life had gotten better. Not choosing anger had brought him a job he was passionate about, a brother who was happy, friends who cared for him, a man he didn’t expect to love as much as he did. Mako took another deep breath, and the heat inside him cooled as he exhaled.

By the time he opened his eyes, Tyro was gone.

* * *

Mako could tell by the security guards stationed outside his grandma’s that Wu had already arrived.

His family had moved back to Ba Sing Se a year ago, shortly after Wu was elected president. They had loved Asami’s mansion, and Asami had insisted they stay there, but Grandma Yin wanted to go home.

Mako looked up at the humble but imposing façade as he approached. Though his family hadn’t forgotten their roots, they _had_ gotten used to the space and luxury their temporary residence in Republic City had granted them. So Wu had bought the old housing block in the Old Lower Ring their one-room home had previously occupied and converted it into a compound for all of Mako’s aunts, uncles, cousins, and, of course, his grandma. Unlike Mako, his relatives apparently had no qualms about his boyfriend spending money on them.

Isano, the intimidating head of Wu’s security detail, was standing on the front porch. Mako fist-bumped her in greeting.

“Brace yourself,” she warned as he opened the door.

There was absolute chaos inside. That, in itself, was nothing new: Mako’s extended family was so large he had lost count of how many of them there were, and it seemed like every month there was a new baby to meet. So the shrieks and laughter and distant sounds of plates shattering on the tiled floor were expected, and even welcome. What he didn’t foresee was Wu running past him, a herd of children at his heels. Or Wu spotting him, pointing an accusatory finger in his face, and yelling, “Get him!”

Mako had a split second to suck in a gasp before he was knocked to the ground, his second-through-tenth cousins piling on top of him like a pack of polar dogs. Wu watched giddily, off to the side.

“Mako’s here!” he clapped in delight, as Mako struggled to peel child after child off himself. He shot Wu a glare, but Wu’s grin only got wider.

“Where’s Bolin?” the girl Mako had just lifted demanded, folding her arms across her chest. She looked to be about six or seven. One of Meng-Meng’s kids, Mako was pretty sure.

“You gotta settle for me this time, buddy,” Mako said, ruffling her hair. The girl huffed, and Mako couldn’t hide his offense as she stomped off, yelling, “It’s not the fun one!”

Wu snorted as he hugged Mako, linking his fingers behind his neck. “For what it’s worth, I think you’re the fun one.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Mako mock-complained as he pecked Wu on the lips. “I’m never the favorite around here. Even my grandma likes you better.”

Wu shrugged. “You know how she feels about royalty. I may no longer be king, but I’ve still got dynasty blood.”

Mako rolled his eyes, grinning despite himself. “At least I’m the grandson that brought home a royal suitor.”

Wu laughed. His eyes looked tired – Mako knew he’d been working day and night before he got here, and that squeezing a family dinner into his presidential schedule was no easy feat – but they looked bright and happy, too. Mako kissed him again, communicating the gratitude that ballooned inside him.

“That you did,” Wu said before grabbing Mako’s hand and dragging him further inside. “Now come on, Grandma Yin’s stew awaits!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! <3 Next chapter will be posted in a few days. There will be a stakeout! And a chase scene! And Wuko fluff, always!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Today's a great day in the US, so I'm celebrating by posting the next chapter earlier than I planned!

Out of the two of them, Bolin was the talker.

Mako could spend hours without speaking, listening to the radio or thumbing through the newspaper or secretly reading one of the trashy romance novels Jinora got him hooked on when they lived on Air Temple Island. Bolin was the one who felt the need to fill every silence with a story from their pro-bending days, or probing queries about a person’s life, or outloud musings to himself about what he should eat next. Unlike Bolin, Mako felt comfortable, even at peace, in the quiet.

Not now, though. The tension was pulsing, alive, between him and Tyro. They were staking out a dilapidated building on the outskirts of the Old Lower Ring. In front of their unmarked Satomobile, the inner wall towered above.

They’d spent more than half the day there, not speaking. Mako was afraid if he opened his mouth, any words would come out biting and bitter. He guessed Tyro felt much the same.

On occasion they saw silhouettes moving in the windows of the building, but nothing discernible enough to justify jeopardizing their cover. It would be getting dark soon, and nearing time for them to head back to the station.

Mako sighed. Another day, another unsuccessful attempt at catching the dirt suppliers with a partner who thought Mako’s love life concerned him. This wasn’t the first time this had happened, in Ba Sing Se or back in Republic City. Mako figured it wouldn’t be the last.

He was just about to clear his throat and suggest that they start driving when a man – flat-footed, wide-chested, built like an earthbender – exited the building and lifted the garage door.

Mako’s eyes widened, and he shot an arm out unthinkingly to grab Tyro’s shoulder. Inside the garage was a Satotruck, its open cargo bed holding garbage bags filled with soil.

“ _Spirits_ ,” Mako and Tyro gasped together, and then everything happened at once.

Tyro scrambled to start their Satomobile. The rumble of the engine alerted the earthbender, who jumped quickly into the driver’s seat of the Satotruck and floored it out of the garage. Tyro stomped hard on the gas, and he and Mako went careening after him.

They took hard corners up the narrow streets, chasing the Satotruck into more densely populated areas. Luckily, they were gaining on the earthbender; by the time they took their next turn, they were riding the Satotruck’s side. Suddenly, though, the earthbender shoved a fist out the window, swinging it in an upward motion. They came to an abrupt halt, flinging them forward in their seats. Mako reached his arms in front of him, bracing for the impact. His stomach banged into the dashboard, knocking the wind out of him.

Mako heard a crash. He looked up, wincing in pain, before his eyes widened in horror. Tyro had been catapulted out of his seat and into a street stand – one that sold hand-blown glass vases.

Mako staggered out of their Satomobile, arm clutching at his middle. He was pretty sure he had broken a couple of ribs. He spotted rock wrapped around the car’s wheels as he exited, bent by the man who had now escaped.

Mako pushed his way through the crowd that had formed around Tyro. Everyone was gaping, but no one was helping. Mako squatted down next to his partner, lying surrounded by blood and large bits of broken glass. “Someone call an ambulance,” Mako yelled. No one seemed to move. He shot around, fire flaring involuntarily from his hands. “Now!”

Finally, people jumped into action. Shopkeepers hurried indoors, presumably to find a phone. Towels appeared suddenly all around him, their lenders urging Mako to wipe Tyro’s wounds. Mako ignored them. Many of the cuts were deep, long. Tyro was losing too much blood.

Mako took a deep breath. He’d never done this before, but he’d seen it – in the makeshift hospital where he was treated along with the other injured after Kuvira’s destruction of Republic City. He lit a small flame with his index finger and moved it toward Tyro’s chest, where the gashes looked the worst.

“I’m sorry,” Mako murmured, “This is gonna hurt.” Then he pressed the flame to Tyro’s jaggedly torn flesh.

A wail ripped through Tyro. Mako worked as fast as he could, cauterizing the worst of the wounds. Slowly, finally, the flow of blood ceased.

Mako let out a breath he didn’t know he had been holding. His work was messy, uneven; Tyro would probably be left with some bad scars. But there was no more bleeding, and Tyro was alive.

* * *

“WHERE IS HE?”

Mako was pretty sure Wu was still near the ward entrance, but he could hear his voice clearly from Tyro’s room on the other side of the hall. Tyro and his wife, who had been conversing quietly, looked up in alarm.

Isano’s head popped into the doorway. “Mako, the president—”

Wu pushed past her, rushing towards Mako. His hands immediately began roaming Mako’s face, his arms, his chest. “Are you okay?” he said, breathlessly. “Where are you hurt? Who did it? I’ll kill them!”

“Wu—”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t get here faster. I swear, Mako, I will do everything in my power—”

“ _Wu_ —”

“They won’t know what hit them—”

“ _Wu._ ” Mako pried Wu’s hands gently off, held them in his own. “I’m fine. I promise.”

Mako really was fine. Once they’d arrived at the hospital and doctors swept Tyro away, a nurse had led Mako into a patient room where he waited for someone to heal his ribs. His torso was bandaged and the soreness would linger for a few days, but Mako was okay.

“Are you sure?” Wu asked, biting his lower lip. He looked so scared, so worried, that Mako couldn’t help but lean down and try to alleviate his fear with a kiss.

When they broke apart, Mako saw Tyro and his wife look hastily away.

“Er. Wu, this is my partner, Tyro, and his wife Hei-Won.” Mako gestured awkwardly at them.

For a split second, Wu raised an eyebrow at Mako. Mako understood the silent look: _So this is the man who hates us_. Then Wu turned toward them, bowing, his expression carefully arranged into a presidential smile.

“Detective Tyro, Hei-Won, it’s a pleasure to meet you both, though I wish it was under much better circumstances,” Wu said, his tone the perfect balance between courteous and sympathetic. “Detective, I’m so sorry about what happened to you. Thank you for your service. I’m glad you’re okay.”

Hei-Won bowed back, and Tyro nodded stiffly. Mako couldn’t read the expression on his face. He looked… embarrassed?

“Thank you, Mr. President,” Tyro said. His eyes shifted to Mako. “I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for your-your—” Tyro cleared his throat, tried again. “If it wasn’t for Mako here.”

Wu kept smiling. It didn’t reach his eyes. Mako, and maybe Isano, were the only ones who noticed. “It’s good you both were there for each other.”

Mako rubbed the back of his neck. This whole exchange was uncomfortable. “Uh, well, I’m pretty tired. Maybe we should go home? Give Tyro a chance to rest?”

Hei-Won shuffled over to him, took Mako’s hand in both of hers. “Thank you,” she said, her voice wavering. “Thank you for saving my husband.”

Mako resisted the urge to squirm. “Um, of course. That’s what partners are for.” He pulled his hand out of her grasp, as quickly and gently as he could.

As Mako followed Wu out the door, Tyro called his name. Mako turned to face him. He looked small and hunched in the hospital bed.

“Thanks,” Tyro said simply, but the word felt heavy. Mako nodded and left.

* * *

It was three weeks before Tyro was back at the station. In the meantime, Mako had been stuck with the rookie who had greeted him on his first day. He wasn’t even a detective; apparently, the Ba Sing Se police were short-staffed. Mako ordered him to sit beside him and just pretend like he was doing work.

The dilapidated building he and Tyro had staked out was empty when Mako returned, the day after their chase. All that was left were clumps of soil, scattered haphazardly throughout the rooms.

More and more people were showing up dead in the early morning hours – after the dirt high had lifted them up and thrown them away.

On his first day back, Tyro was already at his desk by the time Mako came in. They were the only ones at the station, the sun still not fully risen.

Mako gave Tyro a short nod in greeting as he plopped into his chair. He could see scars, some darker than others, littering Tyro’s arms, neck, and face.

“Hey,” Tyro said softly, as if not to disturb the quiet. He shut the file he had been reviewing. “Catching up on the case.”

Mako’s mouth twisted into a frown. “Not much progress, I’m afraid. They’ve gone underground.”

Tyro nodded. “Yeah, seems like it.” He paused, inhaled audibly. “Mako, thanks. Again. Because of you… The doctors said if you hadn’t stopped the bleeding, I may not have made it.”

Mako ducked his head, shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “I was just being a good partner.”

“You were.” Tyro winced. “I haven’t been a good partner to you.”

Mako shrugged. How was he supposed to respond to that? It was true, but it didn’t seem helpful to say so.

“Thanks for the care basket,” Tyro said. “That was really kind of you and President Wu, even after… I mean, I’m guessing he knows what I’ve said.”

Mako furrowed his brow. “Care basket?”

“Yeah… You didn’t know? Both your names were on the card.”

Mako chuckled. “Sorry. That kind of stuff is more Wu’s thing. To be honest, I never would’ve thought of it.”

“Oh.” Tyro blinked. “Well. Tell him thanks for me.”

The rest of the day passed uneventfully. They pored over the evidence, reading and rereading witness statements and past reports to try and find an inkling of where the dirt suppliers might have moved, where the earthbender they had chased may have escaped to. No leads surfaced. Mako’s eyes hurt from staring at files under the harsh light of the station lamps, his back stiff and in need of a good cracking. He hoped Wu would be willing to give him a shoulder rub later.

The tension that had formed between him and Tyro after Mako’s first day in Ba Sing Se, at least, was dissipating. Tyro was still uneasy, Mako could tell, but it seemed to stem more from sheepishness than disgust. They even had a polite conversation about where the best kebabs were in the Old Lower Ring over their lunch break.

When he left work, Mako found Wu in his study. He leaned silently against the doorway for a while, watching his boyfriend work. Wu was bent over a piece of paper, pen moving at a rapid pace, the tip of his tongue poking out of the corner of his mouth. Mako knew that meant Wu was concentrating hard – he did it when he was picking out what suit to wear, what spa treatment to choose, while planning the evacuation of Republic City. He did it when fussing with Mako’s hair, and listening to Mako outline the details of a tough case. Every time, Mako fought between not wanting to disturb Wu’s thought process and wanting to capture that tip of tongue with his own.

Now, Mako chose not to interrupt. He waited for Wu to look up, notice him.

“Oh, hey big guy. Didn’t see you there.”

Mako strode over and leaned down behind Wu’s chair. “Hi,” he said, hugging Wu close, giving him a gentle kiss.

Mako was getting used to this: coming home to Wu, swapping stories about their days at the dinner table, waking up tangled together every morning. It reminded him of their life at the Four Elements hotel, but better – now they were together, in love. This was the longest Mako had been able to stay in Ba Sing Se; his previous visits were always short, rushed, whenever he could swing time off, the two of them cramming in as much touch and locked eyes and domesticity as they could into a few days and subsisting on letters and phone calls in the in-between. Wu came to Republic City even less, his work requiring him to stay in the UER. It wasn’t easy, having a long-distance relationship with a president.

It was hard for Mako to picture what their future could look like. They had been together less than a year, and as evidenced by his disastrous relationships with Korra and Asami, Mako wasn’t great at this whole love thing. Would Wu move back to Republic City after his term was over? Would Mako be willing to live in Ba Sing Se? Republic City was the only home he’d ever known, where his memories of his parents were, where he and Bolin had learned to survive, where he could grab dumplings with his friends and sneak to Air Temple Island when he needed a break from the Satomobile smog clouding the streets. The city hadn’t always been kind to him, but its roughness was familiar, comforting.

He had to admit, though, that when he was with Wu, he felt the same kind of peace that had settled over him when he and Bolin had moved into their first apartment, a rinky-dink studio with a stall shower next to the stove – a peace that felt like he was finally, finally home.

Wu was capping his pen now, rising from his chair, holding a hand out to Mako. “Dinner? I had food flown in from Narook’s. Figure you may be missing Republic City.”

Mako gave a startled laugh at the mental image of cheap bowls of seaweed noodles riding first-class on an airship. He was surprised, but he shouldn’t have been. It was a classic Wu gesture: kind-hearted and over-the-top. Mako took Wu’s proffered hand, brought it to his lips, kissed his knuckles. “Can’t wait.”

* * *

Mako and Tyro claimed stools at the bar of the Drunk Badgermole. They sipped at a couple of beers, Mako’s tongue stinging at the earthy, grimy flavor. Tasted just like the swill he used to drink when working for the Triple Threat Triads.

The bar was crowded and rowdy, a regular haunt for the seedier-looking characters of the Old Lower Ring. It was also at the center of a recent series of dirt-induced deaths that had occurred in the area. Mako and Tyro were blending in, hoping to catch sight of a deal.

They made small talk about Ba Sing Se weather and the latest Eel Hounds match, gazes shifting covertly to survey the dingy room. Aside from the jostle of shoulders in the packed space and a hustle clearly taking place at the nearby pool table, nothing suspicious had happened yet.

Mako focused his attention back on Tyro. His partner looked uncomfortable all of a sudden.

“Hey man, I was wondering…” Tyro’s mouth opened and shut, opened and shut. “Uh, well, why are you and President Wu even together?”

Mako raised an eyebrow. Annoyance flared in him. “What kind of question is that?”

Tyro rushed to correct himself, panic written on his face. “That came out wrong! Sorry, no, that’s not what I meant.” He sighed. “I guess I’m trying to ask, like, what makes you like guys. What makes you like him. I’m… I don’t really understand it, but I want to.”

Mako frowned. His annoyance lingered, flared a bit more. They were working a case; why were they talking about this? Why did Tyro want to suddenly understand, anyway? And why did he think it was okay to ask Mako to help him?

“Tyro,” he said, an edge creeping into his voice despite trying to control it, “I don’t think this is appropriate.”

“I know. You’re right. I’m sorry.” Tyro looked so embarrassed, so miserable. Mako pitied him. He let out a deep sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“It’s not that I like guys, exactly. Before Wu I only dated girls. Well, two girls. Dating a guy never really crossed my mind. I knew Wu for four years before we got together and the thought didn’t occur to me once.” Mako took another swig of his drink, blanched at the taste. Wu’s proclivity for the finer things had spoiled Mako’s tolerance for swill. “But then Korra… Korra and Asami getting together surprised me. I didn’t see it coming. Well, I mean, does anyone ever see their two ex-girlfriends dating coming? But they were so visibly happy, much happier than when either of them was with me. And I did love them when we dated – I still do – but after seeing them together I realized it wasn’t _love_ love. They were my friends, and they were good-looking, and I hadn’t known a relationship could be more than that.”

Tyro was frowning. Mako thought he was going to say something rude about Korra and Asami’s relationship – that, Mako _definitely_ wouldn’t tolerate – but then Tyro asked, “I’m sorry… Do you mean Korra, like Avatar Korra? You dated the _Avatar_?”

Mako laughed, surprised. “Oh. Yeah. We’re just friends now, though.”

Tyro shook his head. “Who _are_ you, Mako? Here I was thinking you were just some guy who came from a lower ring family, like me.”

Mako shrugged. “I am. My brother and I, we struggled for a long time… It’s his fault, really, that our lives changed so much. He had a crush on Korra, and it all just kinda snowballed from there.”

“And Wu?”

Mako shrugged again. “It just… happened. I realized I loved him more than I had ever loved Korra or Asami. He made me feel the way Korra and Asami looked with each other. Him being a guy… I knew it mattered because it would make our relationship more complicated to everyone outside of it, but it didn’t matter to me.”

Tyro nodded as if he understood. “Hei-Won’s family is even poorer than mine. My mom, she wanted me to find someone better… I know it’s not exactly the same, but…” Tyro hesitated. “Do you ever feel like, I don’t know… like you have to prove yourself, because of it? I-I know I was completely wrong – I mean, you saved my life – but I was worried about having you as a partner after I found out. Like, like you wouldn’t be able to have my back.”

Mako huffed. He knew past partners had felt the same way; Tyro was the only one who’d ever admitted it aloud. “I had to hustle to keep my brother and I alive after our parents died. I used to work for a gang. I was on a top pro-bending team. I stopped a crazy bloodbender from taking my bending away. I fought dark spirits during Harmonic Convergence. I electrocuted a Red Lotus waterbending master. I shot lightning into a mass of spirit vines to take down a power-hungry dictator.” He leveled his gaze at Tyro, frustration twisting across his face. “What do I have to prove to you, exactly?”

He could hear Tyro gulp.

“Wu’s strong too, you know,” Mako continued. “Maybe not in the same way – okay, definitely not in the same way – but he evacuated Republic City citizens to safety when they were terrified, and he dismantled an ancient monarchy and installed an entire democratic government, for spirits’ sake. And if _you_ had to put up with the amount of hate he gets just because of our relationship…” Mako felt his fists clench. He needed to calm himself.

“I’m sorry, Mako,” Tyro burst out. “I’m sorry man, okay? I just never really knew a guy who liked guys, and then out of nowhere our _president_ —”

Mako put up a hand to stop Tyro’s babbling. There, at the entrance to the Drunk Badgermole, stood the flat-footed, wide-chested earthbender.

He had come in with a group of similarly-built men and women, their eyes roaming around the bar. It only took a second for him to meet Mako’s eyes.

Mako was off his stool in a flash, Tyro scrambling behind him. They shoved bar patrons out of their way and darted out the door, catching sight of the earthbender and his posse just as they turned a corner.

Mako could hear Tyro panting, keeping pace beside him. He formed a fireball in his palm and threw it at the nearest runner. She dodged and flung darts of rock his way.

Before Mako could react Tyro waved his hand, redirecting her attack so that the darts smashed into a building to their left. Tyro punched through the air, sending wave after wave of earth after the group – but they were too fast, had gotten too much of a lead. Mako breathed deep and concentrated all of his energy in his right arm, feeling static forming at his fingertips. With careful aim, he shot a bolt of lightning at the female earthbender.

It struck her perfectly in the side – enough to incapacitate her, but not enough to leave permanent damage. She collapsed. One, two, three of her companions looked back, hesitating, then turned and raced away.

Mako and Tyro jogged up to her. Mako pulled a pair of cuffs from his jacket pocket while Tyro surveyed the area, peering through windows and down alleys, checking to see if the earthbenders had left anything, or anyone, behind. Mako was hoisting the dazed woman to her feet when Tyro called his name.

“You find something?” Mako asked. He could just make out Tyro in a nearby alleyway, his figure half-hidden in shadow.

“You need to come here. Now.”

Mako furrowed his brow. What could it be? He was sure the rest of the earthbenders had escaped, and he and Tyro had been close behind enough to see if any of them had dropped or tossed something away. He guided the cuffed woman, unsteady on her feet, toward Tyro.

Tyro was kneeling down beside something – someone, Mako realized. Someone with shaggy black hair and a face shaped like Bolin’s, like his father’s, like many in his family.

Mako’s whisper came out hoarse. “ _Tu_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love the idea of Mako being even more protective over Korra and Asami's relationship than his own. Also, I firmly believe Mako is secure enough in his masculinity that he has zero doubts about his strength and ability. He won't tolerate any toxic bullshit.
> 
> Thanks for reading! <3 Comments and kudos give me life. I appreciate every single one!


	3. Chapter 3

They were in a different ward of the hospital, this time – a makeshift ward, exclusively dedicated to dirt patients. Mako was sitting outside Tu’s room, struggling to keep his eyes open. He’d step out for a second, needed some air. Being crammed into a small hospital room with thirty of his relatives had made it hard to come by.

A hand appeared in Mako’s eyeline, holding a steaming cup of tea. “It tastes pretty bad, but it’s something.”

Mako nodded his thanks and took the cup. Tyro took the seat beside him. After finding Tu, Mako had waited for the ambulance to arrive while Tyro brought the earthbender they had captured back to the station. He hadn’t expected Tyro to show up at the hospital afterward.

Neither of them spoke, but Mako was surprised at how comforting it felt to know Tyro was there. They listened to the voices escaping out of his cousin’s room: Grandma Yin fretting over Tu, Aunt LiLing crying into Uncle Chow’s chest, Chow Jr. and Lingbo – wrestling, it sounded like? Mako took a sip of his tea, immediately pulling a face. It tasted like sour, burnt, hot leaf juice.

Sound continued to pour from Tu’s room, but a hush fell over the rest of the hallway. Mako looked up. Security guards in presidential service uniforms were sweeping down the corridor, checking into each room to clear them. Mako saw Isano come through the ward doors. Wu was here.

Mako jogged toward him as soon as he appeared, enveloped him into a hug. “Thanks for coming,” Mako murmured into Wu’s hair, tension easing from his shoulders.

“Of course.” Wu broke their embrace, grasped Mako’s hands. “I’m so sorry, Mako. How is Tu doing?”

“Still unconscious, but he’s better. Not great, but – better.” Mako pushed away the image that had popped into his mind, unbidden, of Tu unconscious on the ground, his legs bent at unsightly angles. His face had been flushed, his body shaking, convulsing, signature signs of a dirt high wearing off. He’d fallen off the roof of the building next door. Mako didn’t know how long he’d been lying there before Tyro found him.

“I called Bolin,” Wu was saying when Mako focused his attention back. “He’s coming tomorrow.”

“Oh, spirits. I’m awful. How could I forget to tell Bolin?” Mako scolded himself. There had been so much going on: doctors spinning around Tu, injecting Agni-knows-what into his veins; his entire family crashing into the ward like a hurricane wave, frantic and scared. By the time Mako had finished telling his eighth relative everything he knew – which wasn’t much – he was so bone-tired all he could do was collapse into a chair outside of Tu’s room.

“You didn’t forget,” Wu soothed. He was rubbing his thumb along Mako’s palm, guiding him back to his seat. “You would’ve told him. I did it so you wouldn’t have to.”

Mako nodded absently. He let Wu push him gently back into his chair, accepted the canister of warm, sweet, freshly-brewed tea his boyfriend produced from seemingly nowhere. Mako took a sip, let it calm him.

“We’ve got to stop meeting like this,” Wu said wryly, turning to Tyro. “I’m glad to see you’ve healed well.”

Tyro gave a small smile, stood from his seat. Mako could tell he was tired, too. “Mr. President,” he said, sticking out a hand. “I never properly introduced myself. Detective Tyro. Thank you for – er, last time.”

Wu shook Tyro’s hand firmly. “Nice to meet you, Detective. Thank you for finding our dear Tu.” It was a simple word – _our_ – but even through his exhaustion it wrapped Mako in warmth. Tu and Wu had hit it off from the moment they met, but still. Wu claimed Mako’s family. Wu _was_ his family.

Wu shifted his gaze to Mako. “Time for me to head in, I suppose.” He took a deep breath, bracing himself. Then he squeezed his way into the hospital room, his slight frame getting him through the wall of bodies with an ease Mako couldn’t have accomplished.

Mako and Tyro were alone in the hallway again, save for Isano and the rest of Wu’s security team.

“I guess I should probably head home,” Tyro said. “I can question our suspect tomorrow myself, if you wanna take the day for your family. Your lightning really did her in. She was out like a light when I left the station.”

Mako shook his head. “I’ll be there.” This case, important to him before, was personal now. He needed to find answers himself.

Tyro seemed to expect Mako’s response. “G’night, Mako. You should try to get some rest.”

Mako waved tiredly. Tyro started down the hallway, then spun around. “We’ll get them. I swear we will.”

Mako nodded, firm, resolved. Agni knew they would.

* * *

After swinging by the hospital from work – Tu was still unconscious, but the doctors said they expected him to wake soon – Mako came home to Wu and Bolin, absolutely plastered.

“Makooo!” they yelled in unison when they caught sight of him. They started bouncing up and down, clapping their hands together. Mako stepped into the sitting room they were in and spied empty bottles of cactus juice on the coffee table. Wu swayed, unsteady, and Bolin tripped, clumsy hands catching purchase on a sofa arm before he could plop over.

Mako raised an eyebrow. “Looks like you two have been having fun.”

Wu and Bolin burst into giggles, collapsing against each other. Mako snorted. Despite their rough start, sometimes his brother and his boyfriend got along _too_ well.

Mako was about to call for Onku and ask for a much more respectable Tiger Shark beer to join them when she appeared at his elbow.

“Sir,” she said, making Mako jump. He didn’t know how she moved so silently. “We received a call from the gate. A Detective Tyro is here to see you.”

“Tyro’s here?” Wu exclaimed before Mako could respond. He turned to Bolin and stage-whispered, “He hates me and Mako because of – you know,” and poked his index fingers together, waggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Bolin slapped a hand to his mouth, eyes wide. “Because of Fire Nation finger traps?”

Wu smacked Bolin in the chest, howling with laughter. Mako rolled his eyes. He turned to Onku. “You can let him up, thanks. And for the millionth time, you can just call me Mako.”

He left Wu and Bolin to their antics, the two of them barely noticing. Mako waited in the foyer until the attendants opened the doors to let Tyro in.

“Hey,” Mako greeted. “What are you doing here?”

Tyro entered, eyes immediately widening as he ogled the lavish décor. Wu had humbled and changed over the years, but his penchant for the extravagant hadn’t gone anywhere. “Oh, uh.” Tyro tore his gaze away from the intricate gold carvings wrapped around the grand staircase and finally focused on Mako. “I didn’t exactly know how to call the president’s house, and I think I caught a break in the case. Figured you’d wanna know right away.”

Mako brightened. “Really? Thanks. Yeah, let’s go in here.” Mako started leading Tyro out of the foyer. A yelp came from the sitting room Wu and Bolin occupied, visible from where he and Tyro stood. The drunk pair was jumping on the sofa, their shoe-clad feet making a mess of the expensive brocade cushions Mako was pretty sure Wu had had imported from the Ember Island artisan community.

“What’s—” Tyro started.

“Don’t worry about it.” Mako quickly ushered him away. They made it to Wu’s study and Mako settled in behind the desk, Tyro taking the seat across from him.

“So what’s the break?” Mako asked impatiently.

“I think I know where we can find them again,” Tyro declared triumphantly. “When we were questioning that woman earlier today, she mentioned the Jook Shack, remember? She said that’s where she worked, where they all worked, and that they were all at the bar last night after a shift.”

“Yeah,” Mako nodded, the suspect’s words coming back to him. “She said they didn’t know why we were chasing them, but they ran because they were afraid of us. A weak cover story.”

“Very weak,” Tyro agreed. “And it bothered me because I’d never heard of the Jook Shack before, and I know all the food spots in the Old Lower Ring. So after I left today I asked some of my buddies about it. Figured we could at least find out where it is, and you and I could check it out, see if there were any clues there. Because there had to be a reason why she said that specific place, right?”

“Right.”

“But none of my buddies had heard of it either. Except one.” Tyro leaned forward in his seat, excited. “Mako, the Jook Shack isn’t a place. It’s a password.”

Mako frowned. “What?”

“It’s a password,” Tyro repeated insistently. “Every year, there’s a huge party thrown somewhere secret in the Old Lower Ring. The crowd’s pretty harsh. It’s hosted by the same folks who put on the underground bending competitions. I’ve never been, but I’ve heard about it all my life. It’s been going on for years. And my buddy who told me about the Jook Shack, well, he’s not quite on the straight-and-narrow like me… but he knows where the party’s gonna be. And when it is.”

“When?” Mako pressed. A huge party for the roughest folks in the Old Lower Ring? The dirt suppliers _had_ to be dealing in large quantities there. He and Tyro needed to get in.

“Two days from now.”

Mako grinned. “Well, guess we’re going to a party.”

* * *

“Makooo!” Wu and Bolin whined as Mako walked Tyro to the front door. “Why aren’t you drinking with us?”

“Be right there,” Mako called mildly. He looked at Tyro. “Sorry. My brother came up to visit Tu, and he and Wu are an... _energetic_ pair.”

Tyro chuckled. “At least they get along, right?”

Mako smiled wryly. “At least.”

“Bro,” Bolin yelled, “ask your guest if he wants a drink! He looks like he could use one.”

“Yes, yes!” Wu declared. “A drink for the hard-working detectives!”

Mako turned to Tyro. He didn’t know if this was a good idea, but the invitation was already out there, courtesy of his brother. “Do you?” Mako asked. “Want a drink?”

“Oh.” Tyro looked caught off-guard. “Um. I mean, I don’t wanna impose…”

Mako held in a sigh. Though he would’ve been fine leaving it at that, he could hear sober-Wu in his head, urging him to do the gracious thing. He wished he’d never learned manners. “It’s no imposition. Really. Would be nice to have someone on my level. There’s no way I can catch up to those two.”

“Okay, yeah. Sure.” Mako was surprised at how delighted Tyro looked. “Um, is it okay if I give my wife a quick ring? I don’t want her to worry.”

Mako nodded. “Of course. Onku,” he called, and he jumped again when she appeared at his elbow instantly. “Can you please show Tyro to a phone?”

“Yes, Sir,” she nodded at Mako, then swept a hand in the direction of the nearest phone. “Right this way, Detective Tyro.”

“Not sir, just Mako!” Mako remarked after her as they walked away. She didn’t acknowledge him.

A tray of Tiger Shark was waiting for him on the coffee table in the sitting room, though he didn’t remember actually vocalizing his request to Onku earlier. He took a moment to feel disturbed at how intuitive she was before cracking open a bottle.

“Hey, big guy!” Wu squealed, throwing his hands up in greeting. Mako sat down on the sofa beside him and Wu automatically scooted closer, folding himself against Mako’s chest. Mako dropped a kiss to the top of his head, took a swig of beer.

“I’m crashing here tonight,” Bolin proclaimed, plopping onto a nearby armchair. “Supposed to stay at grandma’s, but s’not safe for me to go out like this.” He smiled proudly, seemingly at himself. “I’m so responsible,” he said, followed by a hiccup.

Though Wu and Bolin were definitely still out of sorts, they seemed to have sobered up a bit, no additional bottles of cactus juice lying around. When Tyro came back, Mako was content to let Bolin pepper him with questions about detective work, growing up in the lower ring, and a time Tyro swore he outswam the unagi when a case brought him to Kyoshi Island. Wu interjected on occasion with quips and one-liners, but he mostly just snuggled into Mako’s side, his eyelids fluttering with the temptation of sleep.

“Oh man, there was this one time Mako, Tenzin, Asami, and I were running from this huge flow of lava, and I was sweating all over because it was so hot in the cave, then all of a sudden we were on the edge of a cliff and the lava was _right there_ so I panicked and just put my hands up and prayed to Tui and La and the badgermoles to help me and then, bam! The lava just stopped, and it took me a second to realize I’m the one who stopped it, but _finally_ I wasn’t sweating anymore but when we were flying off on Kai’s sky bison Mako was complaining because he was riding behind me and my shirt was all sticky but c’mon man, we were almost consumed to death by lava, doesn’t a guy have a right to be a little damp?” Bolin was waving his arms around animatedly, nearly knocking over the antique lamp beside him. “So I think we definitely would’ve been able to outswim the unagi, if it had been the lava in that situation. Well, maybe if Tenzin hadn’t been injured and sparky sparky boom girl wasn’t trying to blast us to smithereens, and everything.”

“Wait,” Tyro said, his eyes widening in recognition. “You’re _that_ Bolin. Lavabender Bolin. Spirits, I’ve heard about you! You’re awesome!”

Bolin looked half-embarrassed, half-proud. He puffed out his chest and waved his hand dismissively. “Yeah well, the whole realizing you have an ability you never knew about when you and your brother and your brother’s ex-girlfriend and an airbending master are in mortal danger thing, y’know.”

“I’ve always wanted to see someone lavabend. Can you do it right now?” Tyro asked, his voice hushed in reverence.

“You bet!”

Bolin pushed his hands out in front of him. Before he could put any force behind them, though, Wu stirred against Mako. “Bolin, if you get any lava on my carpet I will have you thrown into the Fog of Lost Souls.”

“Oh, right.” Bolin smiled sheepishly, lowering his arms. “Sorry, Wu.”

The four of them settled into an amicable silence. Bolin kicked his feet up onto the coffee table, sinking into his armchair. Mako’s fingers stroked absently through Wu’s hair.

“I can’t believe I’m getting drunk with the president,” Tyro said suddenly.

Bolin laughed. “You get used to it. Wu’s a hoot, especially when he’s got a few drinks in him.”

Wu pushed himself off Mako, mouth spreading into a tired smile. “I probably shouldn’t be wasted in front of a constituent, but I’ve had too much cactus juice to care.” He shrugged. “I blame Bolin.”

Bolin balked. “What? If anything, it’s Mako’s fault!”

“How is it my fault?”

“You’re the sensible one, and you took too long to get here. Wu and I can’t be held accountable for our actions when you’re not around.” Bolin crossed his arms across his chest smugly, confident in his logic.

Mako rolled his eyes. “Right. I forced you both to drink enough cactus juice to incapacitate the Triple Threat Triad. How could I be so irresponsible.”

“Exactly!” Bolin said. Wu nodded in agreement.

“I think,” Tyro started. The Tiger Shark was slurring his words. “I think I’ve had too much. This is surreal. Like, the whole drinking with the president thing. And the president’s boyfriend. Who is my partner. Because the president likes guys. And my partner likes guys.” He hiccupped. “And they like each other.”

Mako felt his blood start to boil. Why did Tyro have to always bring it to this?

“You got a problem with my bro and my other bro, man?” Bolin asked. His tone had its signature easy curiousness to it, but underneath Mako heard an edge of danger. Bolin flexed.

“No!” Tyro said hurriedly. “I mean, yes. I did. But I don’t anymore? Maybe I do. I don’t know.” He turned to Wu, his face pleading. “I voted for you, Mr. President. I thought you had good ideas. We all did. But then you-you… it was like you dropped a boulder. I saw guys get beat up in the lower ring for liking other guys. But suddenly our president does it, and it’s all supposed to be okay?”

Mako lunged forward on the sofa. He was about to demonstrate to Tyro just how okay it was, by pummeling his fists into his face – Mako was a surly drunk – when Wu pressed a hand gently to his chest.

Mako turned to him, fire blazing in his eyes. Wu gave him a look that said, simply, _I got this, big guy_.

Mako shifted back into his seat. His shoulders were still tense, ready to strike, but he yielded to Wu.

“I understand,” Wu said, and he sounded like he did. “I didn’t plan this. I didn’t intend to keep anything from my people. The Earth Kingdom taught us the same things, Detective. I was supposed to marry an upper ring dame, get some figurehead role in my aunt’s royal council, and expand the dynastic lineage. Falling in love, let alone with another man? That was unspeakable.”

Wu’s hand found its way into Mako’s. Mako squeezed it tight. “When the queen and the rest of my family were murdered, when I was the only one left, when I became the heir… that made it even more unspeakable. The weight of the future of the Earth Kingdom fell to me, and me alone, it seemed like. But then Kuvira attacked Republic City, and Korra and Mako and Bolin and the others took her down, and I realized there were better options for my people than me taking the throne. Though she had gone about it differently than my ancestors had, Kuvira had hurt the Earth Kingdom in the same way, by not hearing or addressing the unique needs of every state. No one had ever listened to the people. So I dismantled the monarchy so the people could listen to themselves.

“And suddenly, I had options too. I didn’t have to marry an upper ring dame – and I didn’t want to. I honestly thought I would just be single while serving as president, and I’d figure out the whole love thing later. But Mako…” Wu stared up at him then, eyes shining. “He was there. He’d always been there, but I guess I didn’t really realize it, and he didn’t realize it either. But when we did – when we finally did – it seemed inevitable, and unavoidable, and out of our control.

“We went public right away. Like I said, I never intended to keep anything from my people. I’m not trying to justify how we handled things. Maybe there was a better way. But I stand by our relationship. And I also stand by my people. And I don’t believe those have to be in conflict with one another.”

The room fell quiet again. Mako wanted to wrap Wu tightly in his arms, pull him into a kiss to convey the love, the gratitude, the pride he felt for him. He didn’t think he ever could, fully, but he wanted to try – over and over again.

Then Bolin sniffled, loud and wet. “Wu, man, I love how much you love my brother.”

Tyro shifted in his seat. He was uncomfortable, Mako could tell, and he didn’t blame him. He also didn’t care.

“Well, I think it’s time we call it a night,” Mako said and stood, pulling Wu up with him. He looked at Bolin, eyes pointedly avoiding Tyro. “Bo, just ask Onku which room you should take.” Before he finished his sentence, Onku was there, startling Mako again. He needed to talk to Wu about adding bells to her uniform.

“Detective,” Wu said, turning to Tyro. His tone was soft. Mako loved him for the kindness he couldn’t muster himself. “One of my security team can drive you, in your Satomobile. To make sure you get home safely.”

Tyro bowed his head at Wu. “Thank you, Mr. President. I’m… I’m sorry.”

“It’s late, Detective. We’ve had a lot to drink.” Wu smiled wryly. “It’s your right, to question me. It’s my duty to answer. I know my words may not be enough, but they’re the truth.”

Later, in bed, when Wu’s snores filled the space, Mako buried his face into Wu’s hair, dotted kisses along his scalp. He was almost certain now – that this brave, gentle, goofy, confident, exuberant man felt like home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bolin is so much fun to write. Thank you for reading! <3 Final chapter will be up in a few days.


	4. Chapter 4

Tu was conscious when Mako and Bolin went to visit him the next day. Mako’s eyes filled with relief when he saw his cousin sitting upright in his hospital bed, wolfing down a bowl of their grandma’s spicy tofu.

“Tu!” Bolin exclaimed, dropping a hand to Tu’s shoulder. “Thank spirits! I thought you were dead when I arrived yesterday; your skin was so pale. You gotta get some more sun, buddy. Hey, you gonna eat all that?”

Tu held his bowl away from Bolin. “Don’t even try, man. This is my first real meal in two days. Grandma went home to make me more food.”

As Bolin pouted, Mako sat in a chair pulled up to Tu’s bedside. “Hey,” he said. “You’re looking good.”

Tu smiled at Mako around a mouthful of tofu. “Thanks, Mako. For finding me.”

“I’m glad we did.” Mako paused for a beat, bringing a hand to the back of his neck. He rubbed nervously. He didn’t want to have this conversation with his cousin. “Tu, what were you doing? Why were you on dirt?”

Tu’s cheeks went red. “Mako, I don’t know if – I mean, you’re a cop –”

Mako cut him off. “I’m not gonna arrest you. I don’t care about that. I care about the people who sold it to you. And-and I want to make sure you’re okay.”

Tu’s chin dropped. A look of shame spread across his face. “I didn’t buy it from anyone. A friend gave it to me. I don’t know where they got it from. I – look, it was my first time, okay? It’s not like I do dirt on the regular. But sales at the fruit stand haven’t been too good lately, and this girl I was seeing just dumped me, and I thought the dirt would make me feel good. And it did. But now I’m here.” He caught Mako’s eye. “I won’t do it again, Mako. I swear.”

Mako believed him. “Good. You could’ve died, Tu.”

Tu grimaced. “I know. Never again.”

The chair squeaked when Mako shifted. “And look, if money’s tight right now I can help, I’m not rolling in the coins on my detective salary but I do okay—”

Tu shook his head firmly. “No way. I’m not letting you do that, and you know Dad won’t either. You and Bolin and your friends have already given so much to us. Your boyfriend built us a house, for spirits’ sake!”

Mako smiled sheepishly. “Yeah, well, he did that without consulting me, so I take no credit. Besides, we’re family. Not long ago, Bolin and I didn’t know you existed, and now I can’t imagine our lives without you.”

Tu punched Mako in the arm. “Same, cuz. But we’re doing fine, I promise.”

Mako ruffled Tu’s hair, Tu immediately pushing his hand away. Even though Tu tried to be tough, he reminded Mako so much of Bolin sometimes.

Bolin, who was cozying up to their grandma as she came through the door, arms barely able to hold the amount of food containers in them. She passed Bolin a circular tin at the top of her pile, prompting an indignant, “Hey!” from Tu.

Bolin grinned shamelessly at their cousin, already stuffing dumplings into his mouth. He held one out to Tu. “Want a bite?”

* * *

Mako and Tyro walked up to an abandoned warehouse in the roughest part of the Old Lower Ring. They could tell by the crowd at the entrance that they were in the right place.

“Tyro, hey!” A man in worn clothing, a blade of wheat grass between his lips, waved.

“Jee?” Tyro said. “I thought you weren’t coming anymore?”

“I wasn’t!” Jee said quickly, then his face filled with guilt. “But I picked up some work with the underground benders, and they’re running fights at the party tonight…”

“Jee, it’s fine,” Tyro’s voice was gentle. “I know things aren’t going great right now. We’ll talk more later. But I told you, Mako and I are here to – you know.”

Jee nodded. “I know, I know. I won’t blow your cover, I promise.” Jee peered at Mako then. “Say, you look a lot like that firebender guy who’s with the president.”

Mako tipped the hat he was wearing lower, pulled the scarf he had around his neck up. One negative side effect of dating Wu: it made flying under the radar a challenging feat.

Jee seemed to take Mako’s movements as affirmation that he was indeed the firebender guy who was with the president. His eyes widened. Mako steeled himself for a reaction similar to Tyro’s, when his partner had first found out: stiffening shoulders, stiffer words, disgust and distrust flooding his eyes.

Instead, Jee grinned excitedly. “Wow! What’s President Wu like? I’ll bet he’s a force. I’d sure like to meet him one day.”

“Oh.” Mako blinked. “I – Yeah, he is. Tyro’s met him.”

“Really? Wow,” Jee repeated, turning eagerly to his friend. “How about that, Tyro, a boy from the lower ring face-to-face with the leader of the UER. Can you imagine, if the queen was still alive? You never would’ve gotten a chance like that.”

Tyro squirmed, surprise evident on his face. _How about that_ , Mako thought. _A boy from the lower ring, not caring that Wu is with a man. Can you imagine?_

“Yeah,” Tyro admitted after a pause. “I guess – I guess that really is something.”

More and more people were arriving, streaming slowly but steadily into the warehouse. Two bouncers, less men and more boulders, towered at either side of the main doors, demanding the password before permitting entrance.

The closest to Mako, Tyro, and Jee grunted as the three of them approached. They each whispered, “Jook Shack” – and then they were in.

The interior of the warehouse was nearly pitch-black, the only pockets of light shining above crudely carved pits spread throughout the cavernous space. A tattooed man smashed into the side of the nearest pit, dislodging a small avalanche of earth around himself, blood dripping from his nose. He wiped messily at his face before breaking into a run, bending loose rock to encase his fist just as it connected with his opponent’s chin.

“I gotta collect bets for the matches,” Jee said, barely audible above the explosion of cheers as the tattooed man pummeled his opponent into the ground. “I’ll catch you guys later.”

“Be safe, Jee,” Tyro said, looking his friend meaningfully in the eye. “Catch you later.”

Jee nodded. “You too.”

Tyro sighed as Jee was swallowed by the crowd. “He’s a good guy. We grew up together. Life in the Old Lower Ring has been improving, but it’s still no cake walk and I can’t get him to see that there are better ways to make money than working the underground.”

Mako shook his head. “You don’t need to explain it to me. I get it.” He’d been Jee, what seemed like not long ago – taking jobs with the Triple Threat Triad, swearing it’ll be his last one, inevitably taking another because though he knew there must be a way out, maybe getting out wasn’t meant for him. There was a period in time in Mako’s life when he thought he’d be working for a gang forever.

“Yeah,” Tyro said, his voice pensive. “I forgot that you do.”

Mako and Tyro stayed close, milling through the party, pretending to watch matches and drink swill and blend in with the mass of bodies surrounding them. Their eyes scanned subtly for a weighted shake of a hand, a slip of coins, palm-sized baggies in shapes held by dirt. They edged into the darkest shadows of the warehouse, where it was easiest for secrets to be dealt out in the open.

And – there, in a corner, a bag passed from hand to hand. Mako got Tyro’s attention, gave the slightest of nods in the right direction. They eased discreetly closer, Mako’s fingers twitching, alert and ready to light a spark.

It was him again, the earthbender from the dilapidated building, surrounded by the same posse from the Drunk Badgermole. As they neared, Mako could see they were having a good night: so many deals, so many bags, so many coins. So many bodies, twisted and shaking and just barely hanging on like Tu’s had been, piling up in the morning light, if Mako and Tyro couldn’t bring these suppliers down.

Mako sidled up, pressed a coin into the earthbender’s hand, felt the weight of a bag press into his. He looked up then, meeting the earthbender squarely in the eye. “Hey again,” Mako said. “You’re under arrest.”

Mako and Tyro were ready when rock started flying. Tyro deftly intercepted their attacks, Mako lighting a ring of fire around the group to block them in. Suddenly, though, the earthbenders sank into the ground, leaving a gaping hole in their wake.

Mako cursed. He and Tyro dashed for the entrance, their speed hindered by the wall of partygoers around them. Mako could hear Tyro radioing the backup laying in wait outside the warehouse. “They’re on the run,” Tyro yelled into his handheld transmitter. “They got away.”

Sirens were echoing once they finally made it outside. The crowd was pushing its way out of the warehouse now, deterred by the presence of the police, scattering in waves. How were they supposed to find the suppliers now, in this chaos?

Mako couldn’t even find Tyro. The tumult had separated them, and everywhere Mako looked he could only see people frantically running away. Mako darted down an overlooked alleyway, partly just to escape the pandemonium. He groaned in frustration. Once again, he had come so close – and lost. More deaths. More bodies. They had almost had them.

Mako looked down the alleyway – then looked more closely. Wasn’t that the Satotruck he and Tyro had chased before?

“You!” The yell came from the mouth of the alleyway. Mako whipped around and there they were: the earthbender, flanked on either side by his posse. Before Mako could react, spikes of rock shot up around him, trapping him in place.

Mako heard a cackle. “I’ll admit,” the earthbender said, his voice low and gravelly and smug, “you nearly had us. It’s a shame, almost, that you have to die.”

The earthbender pushed his hands together then, and the spikes surrounding Mako started moving in, pressing closer and closer into him. Pain seared through his body. It was getting harder and harder to breathe; his insides felt like they were collapsing in on themselves. He cried out in agony.

He was being crushed to death, and there was no way out.

Images flashed through Mako’s mind: Korra, Asami, his family, Bolin. _Wu_. The people he loved most in the world. This time was different from the spirit vines – he wasn’t ready to die anymore. He had too much to live for. But he was passing out from the pain, and he heard Bolin’s riotous laugh and felt Wu’s hand ghost across his cheek and then there was the sound of Tyro’s voice, yelling his name, before his world went dark.

* * *

Mako woke up to Bolin’s nose squished against his own.

“Wha—”

Bolin gasped, the smell of fried skunk fish wafting across Mako’s face. “Bro! You’re awake! Wu, I _told_ you he twitched, I told you! You owe me five coins – oof, hey!”

Wu’s face appeared where Bolin’s was. It was red, puffy, dark circles under his eyes betraying exhaustion. “Mako,” he breathed, relief flooding his voice. “You’re okay. You’re okay, big guy. You’re okay.”

It sounded like Wu was reassuring himself. A small smile found its way onto Mako’s face. “I’m okay,” he repeated. “I’m okay.”

Wu pressed his lips to Mako’s. The kiss was careful, gentle – like Wu was worried Mako would break. Mako hated that he had made Wu feel this way.

“You had me scared for a while there,” Wu said.

Mako tried to sit upright, but pain stabbed across his entire body. “Ah!” he hissed before he could catch it, and Wu rubbed his hand down Mako’s arm, coaxing him to relax. “How long have I been out?”

“Five days. They really did you in, bro,” Bolin said, and Mako could hear in Bolin’s tone the same concern that he had felt in Wu’s kiss. “The doctors said you could’ve died.”

“I thought I was going to,” Mako admitted quietly. Wu grasped Mako’s hands, his grip firm. Mako clutched him back tighter.

“I’ve been thanking the spirits that Tyro found you when he did,” Wu said. “If he hadn’t…” He shook his head, like the prospect of what could have happened was too terrifying for him to speak aloud.

Mako perked up at the mention of his partner’s name. Tyro had found him? The voice Mako had heard, before he lost consciousness – it had been real. Tyro had found him.

Then a thought occurred to Mako. “Is he okay? They didn’t… they didn’t get him too, did they?”

“He’s fine,” Wu affirmed, and a weight lifted off Mako’s shoulders. “He and a team of officers took the ring of earthbenders down. Tyro got you out of the trap they had you in and found medical attention right away. It’s over. You got them, big guy.”

It was over – all that was left was the paperwork. The familiar mix of thrill and sadness that came with the close of every case settled inside Mako. _Onto the next_.

Except, according to the doctors, he would need to stay in the hospital for at least another week. His body, inside and out, had been beaten and bruised, and no amount of, “I’m fine,” and, “It doesn’t even really hurt – ow, okay, maybe a little,” was going to get them – or Wu – to let him leave. So Mako fussed in his hospital bed, petulantly waiting for freedom.

Bolin left the day after Mako woke up (“Between you and Tu, I’m out of vacation days. You’re gonna have to wait until next year to get hurt again, bro!”). Wu, who had apparently moved into the hospital while Mako was out cold (“Isano was about to murder me with what I put the security team through, but I couldn’t give a sky bison’s ass. There was no way I was gonna leave you when you were _on the verge of death_!”), reluctantly returned to the old palace, though he visited once a day, twice if he could swing it. And Mako’s relatives paraded through his hospital room, bringing home-cooked meals and family gossip and children crawling all over him while he pretended not to flinch under their weight.

Mako was happy to see that the color had returned to Tu’s face when Tu came to visit. His cousin had been discharged around the time Mako was admitted, and though he was confined to a wheelchair while his legs healed, his spirit had fully returned.

“I feel like we’ve done this before,” Tu joked, parked at Mako’s bedside. He had come to deliver a container of noodles too big for any one man to finish, courtesy of Grandma Yin.

“Yeah, well, I know how much fun I had visiting you, thought I’d return the favor,” Mako said dryly.

“Thanks spirits you caught those guys. It was so stupid of me to…” Tu trailed off, frustrated. “Two guys from the neighborhood, I’ve known them forever, they died because of dirt. I was at their funerals, and I still took it. Mom looks so scared every time I leave the house now, like she can’t trust me to not keep myself safe. I don’t blame her. How could I have been so dumb?”

“Tu.” Mako’s tone was strict. “This isn’t the first case I’ve worked like this. So trust me when I tell you it’s not your fault. The suppliers, the dealers, they’re the ones who are hurting everyone. You shouldn’t have taken it, yeah, but they shouldn’t have made it in the first place.”

Tu still looked strained, but his face relaxed a bit at Mako’s words. He chuckled. “Sometimes I wonder how we’re related. No one in the family is as rational as you.”

Mako shrugged. “I’m a lot more like my mom. And Bolin is _definitely_ a lot more like our dad.”

“That checks out.” Tu paused. “Thanks, cuz. For… everything. I’m glad we found you.”

Mako’s chest swelled. He forgot, sometimes, that it wasn’t just him and Bolin anymore, fighting to survive. Though it had been almost six years since he had met Korra, changing the trajectory of his life, it was often still hard for him to believe that his family – biological and not – had grown exponentially.

“I’m glad, too.”

* * *

When Tyro visited, he came bearing a stack of files.

Mako groaned when he saw him. “Great. My favorite part.”

Tyro laughed and dropped the pile unceremoniously on Mako’s bedside table. “Don’t worry, I did most of it. You just need to review and sign, pretty much.”

Mako started at the top, eyes skimming over the details of the last two months they’d spent working the case. The patrol when they’d barely spoken. The stakeout that ended with Tyro soaked in blood. The chase from the Drunk Badgermole when Tyro found Tu, broken but breathing. The party where Mako almost died.

“You saved my life,” Mako murmured as he read over Tyro’s report of that night.

Tyro shrugged awkwardly. “Figure we’re even now.”

The room fell silent as Mako labored his way through the paperwork, the only sounds the hum of the hospital, the scratch of Mako’s pen, and the occasional clarifying question to Tyro. The air still felt tense between them, and Mako didn’t know how to address it – or if he even should. If he even wanted to.

Wu arrived just as Mako was signing the final form.

“I come bearing treats!” he sang, voice muffled behind a teetering stack of what looked like every box of chocolate available in Ba Sing Se. “Oh, hello Detective!”

“Hi, Mr. President,” Tyro greeted, relieving Wu of the goodies and placing them at the foot of Mako’s bed. “Good to see you again.”

There was an ease in how Wu and Tyro addressed each other that hadn’t been there before. Mako raised an eyebrow at Wu.

“Detective Tyro and I spent some quality time together while you were unconscious,” Wu explained. “He came everyday, you know.”

“You did?”

Tyro shuffled his feet. “I know I’ve been a shitty partner and all, but letting you die without seeing you is below even my bar,” he tried to joke.

“You weren’t the worst partner I’ve had,” Mako granted. “You had my back when it mattered.”

Tyro met Mako’s eyes. “And you had mine.”

“Well,” Wu said after a silent beat, clapping his hands together, “everyone survived, which is the most important part. I would’ve killed you if you died –” He looked pointedly at Mako. Mako rolled his eyes. “– but you didn’t, and you caught the bad guys, so now we must celebrate with sweets!”

“I should probably head out,” Tyro said. “Need to drop off these files at the station before I go home so the case can finally close.”

Mako nodded. “Thanks for stopping by. And take some chocolate with you – Wu, as usual, has overdone it.”

Wu pouted but handed over a generous number of boxes to Tyro. As Tyro bid his thanks and farewells, Mako was compelled to say, “It was good working with you. You know, despite everything.”

“You too.” Tyro’s gaze shifted from Mako to Wu, then back again. “I know I wasn’t exactly… understanding, but I’m not too bigheaded to admit when I’m wrong.” He smiled wryly. “If you’re ever sent to Ba Sing Se again, I’d love to be your partner. That is, if you’ll have me.”

“I’d like that,” Mako said, and was surprised that he meant it. _Proved Beifong wrong after all_.

* * *

Mako collapsed onto his sofa, wincing slightly. He’d been out of the hospital for a week, but some of his injuries were still tender.

He’d been cleared for work two days ago, and Beifong had immediately called him back to Republic City to take on a new case. An illegal tigerdillo fighting ring had popped up just south of the Spirit Wilds, and Mako needed to investigate the black market traders smuggling the animals into the city and shut them down.

He took a sip of his tea and cringed. He’d let the water boil for a bit too long, singeing the leaves, and the cream he got from the corner store wasn’t as rich as the one at Wu’s. He would never admit it, but he’d gotten used to having his every need perfectly met during his stay in Ba Sing Se, regardless of how much Onku creeped him out.

And he missed Wu – that, he could admit. His lips turned up as he remembered their last night together. Wu had been curled into Mako’s side, languid and pliant and quiet as he always was after sex, a direct contrast from his typical boisterous, demanding, vibrant presence. The only sound from him had been the occasional contented sigh as Mako ran his fingers up and down his naked spine.

“Aside from your near-death experience, these past two months have been the best of my life,” Wu murmured eventually.

Mako cradled Wu’s chin, brought him up for a kiss. “Mine too,” he mumbled against Wu’s lips. “It’ll be weird, not waking up to you anymore.”

Wu grimaced. “I know. I’m going to hate it.”

“I’ll try to get off next month, even if it’s just for a couple of days,” Mako promised. “Although I think I’d prefer not to take the train. You know, if the airship offer still stands.”

Wu raised an amused eyebrow at him. “You’re ridiculous. Of _course_ it still stands! What good is all this money if I can’t spoil my boyfriend rotten with it?”

Mako frowned. “To be clear, I’m talking about a ticket on an airship. Not, like, a whole airship to myself.”

“Uh-huh. We’ll see.”

“Wu, don’t you dare.”

Wu cackled. “Fine, fine, I won’t… this time. We’ll work our way up to that.”

“No we won’t,” Mako said firmly.

Wu only gave a noncommittal hum. “I think we’re gonna make it, big guy,” he said after a moment’s pause.

Mako used to hate the sappy stuff – his first instinct had always been to brush it off, to divert, when Asami would comment on how handsome he looked or Korra told him she loved him – but everything, including the hard things, was easier with Wu. Even when Mako had been his bodyguard and he had found Wu insufferable, Mako never held off from sharing exactly what was on his mind with him.

So he didn’t hesitate before replying, “I know we will,” and kissing the grin, bright and big and happy, that broke across Wu’s face.

Mako set his tea down now and opened the letter he found tucked into his luggage when he was unpacking. Wu’s loopy script filled the page.

_Mako,_

_I dropped my pen twice on your head and you didn’t even stir. You sleep like a camelephant. A cute one, though._

_By the time you read this, I’ll already be missing you. All I wanted in the three years I lived in Republic City was to finally move into this old palace, but I’ve realized that it doesn’t truly feel like home without you in it. It hurts when we’re apart, but I know you’re making your home a safer place to live, and I love you for it. I just can’t wait until my home comes back to me._

_Which will be next month, hopefully. Give Korra and Asami my love. Tell Bolin I’m billing him for the damage to my sofa. (Not really, but why did we think it was a good idea to jump on it? The pillows are beyond salvation.) And take care of yourself for me, big guy – if we’re going to make it, I need you in one piece._

_Love,_

_Wu_

Mako’s thumb swept across the curlicues of _home_ , written once, twice, three times. It was late, and he had to be at the station early the next morning. Still, he took out a pen and paper and began to write.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end! Thank you for reading all the way through. <3 This started as a snapshot of Mako and Wu's relationship from my story _letters to you_ , because I didn't want to let go of this pairing yet – and it evolved into a much longer fic than I expected! Writing Tyro and his homophobia was difficult, and I'm still not sure if I should've given him a redemption arc – but I want to believe that at least in some cases, it's ignorance, not hatred, that makes people believe what they do. And you know, in the U.S. we've finally, finally entered a time of healing (at least I hope!), so I wanted to bring some healing into this fic, too.
> 
> Okay, enough of my rambling. So much gratitude to you for making it to the end of this. I'm sure I'll write another Wuko fic before too long; they're just too good not to. And if you're a Zukka fan, watch this space! I have a modern AU coming your way soon.
> 
> Also, to the lovely anon who left a comment on this chapter — I am SO SORRY I accidentally clicked the spam button and now it’s gone ): Please know I appreciate you and your words!!!


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